'Ozzy Did Not Have to Die': How Crippled Osbourne Was 'Forced' Onto to Stage in the Weeks Before His Death —Even When He Struggled to Stand and Walk
Ozzy Osbourne was 'forced' to perform his farewell show despite the fact he could barely walk or stand.
July 23 2025, Published 7:06 a.m. ET
Ozzy Osbourne's death could have been prevented after it was claimed the frail rocker was "forced" to perform his energy-sapping farewell show.
RadarOnline.com can reveal pals feared the star, who died on Tuesday aged 76, was too ill to take part in the Black Sabbath concert on July 5, given he struggled to stand and could barely walk.
Dying On Stage Wish
The rocker gave gig green light because he would be 'happy' to die on stage.
But the British musician did not oppose being asked to play such prestigious homecoming gig, because he would be "happy" dying on stage.
An insider said: "Ozzy has said plenty of times that he'd be happy to die on stage, that's where his heart and soul lie.
"But people around him worry that if he pushes himself for this concert, he could end up a goner."
The insider added that Osbourne was so "pigheaded, there was no talking him out of it.
"He’s got his heart set on doing one more show today a proper goodbye.
"He wants it in his home town of Birmingham."
Parkinson's Battle
Osbourne has been battling Parkinson's since 2003 as well as spinal injuries.
However, pals expressed their frustration his inner circle did not put his health before the gig.
"Ozzy was too ill to take part – he could barely walk or stand,” a separate insider alleged, claiming his health had deteriorated so badly in the weeks before his final show pals feared the star was too ill to take part.
The tipster added: "Ozzy has said plenty of times that he'd be happy to die on stage… but people around him worried that if he pushed himself for this concert, he could end up a goner.
"He was basically pushed into doing it as the cost of backing out was too high, but he also pushed himself as he knew it would be great to go out with a bang.
"His Parkinson’s has progressed and he’s in a great deal of pain, but instead of resting, he really did push himself to the limit for that final concert. His whole inner circle and fans worried it would turn out to be his literal last gig, but if anyone questioned the plan, Ozzy would fly off the handle.
"He told people he was going to do it even if it killed him, and the financial stakes were just too high to cancel it.”
Osbourne's Parkinson's had progressed before his death and he was in a lot of pain.
Osbourne has suffered from health issues for years.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2003 and suffered multiple spinal surgeries, one of which left him too wrecked to tour — often needing a cane and wheelchair to get around.
The insider explained: "His Parkinson's has progressed and he's in a great deal of pain, but instead of resting, he's pushing himself for this concert.
"People worry that he could be worsening his illness. But if anyone questions this plan, he flies off the handle. He won't hear a word against it."
The insider added: "It's good to see he has this fire in his belly, but it's also very worrying — for what might happen if he does it, and also what it will do to him if he can't pull it off."
Botched Surgery
Osbourne claims a 2019 surgical procedure left him unable to walk properly.
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Osbourne linked his persistent health struggles to a surgical procedure he had back in 2019 after he experienced a late-night tumble at his Los Angeles home.
He recounted the harrowing incident where he collapsed on his bathroom floor, feared he was paralyzed, and called out to his wife, Sharon, for help.
Osbourne revealed: "I saw this big white flash when I hit the floor, and I thought, 'You've finally done it now'. I knew it was bad, I thought I was paralysed, so very calmly I said, 'Sharon, I can't move. I think I've done my neck. Phone an ambulance.'"
Additionally, the fall aggravated pre-existing injuries to his neck and spine from a quad-bike crash in 2003. The 2019 spinal surgery even dislodged some of the metal rods that had been implanted in his back due to the earlier accident.
Osbourne, with daughter Kelly, left, collapsed on the bathroom floor and called wife Sharon, right, for help.
He also previously said that it wasn't Parkinson's disease but rather a surgery that caused his most significant struggles.
"I mean, when I came off the quad bike in 2003, I still did tours and I had Parkinson's back then. It was THAT f------ surgery," he revealed.
Reflecting on the aftermath of his spinal surgery, Osbourne shared his frustration: "I went to the doctor's and you assume everybody knows what they're doing. My son Jack has a video of me going into surgery, saying, 'I'll see you in a few minutes.' I haven't walked properly since."
